Terminal for making electrical connections



Feb. 6, 1962 BERG 3,020,520

TERMINAL FOR MAKING ELECTRICAL CONNECTIONS Filed July so, 1959 IN V ENTOR. Q 216 772 27? ,3 e7

BY 2 4 W1 rates This invention relates to a terminal for makingelectrical connections and has particular reference to a terminaladapted for connecting an electrical component to a printed circuitboard, and the electrical connection made when such terminal is crimpedaround a lead of such component.

In integrating electrical components with printed circuit boards, it isthe practice to aifix a terminal to the lead of an electrical componentand then insert the terminal in a socket in such a board and solder thesame thereto. Since the terminal forms an electrical connection betweenthe circuitry on such a board and the component, the quality of theelectrical connection is important. Of equal importance is therequirement that the terminals must be accurately and uniformly madesince they are applied and soldered on automatic machines. The terminalherein disclosed and claimed is particularly adapted for insertion in asocket in a printed circuit board and has been found in use to provideuniformly good high quality connections between such a board and theelectrical component to the lead of which such terminal is crimped.

A principal object of the invention is to provide a new and improvedterminal.

Another object of the invention is to provide a wrap around type ofterminal which is adapted to make a high quality electrical connectionbetween a printed circuit board and an electrical component assembledtherewith.

Another object of the invention'is to provide a novel, eflicient, highquality electrical connection employing a wrap around type of terminalas herein before referred to.

Other and further objects of the invention will be apparent from thefollowing description and claims and may be understood by reference tothe accompanying drawings, of which there is one sheet, which by way ofillustration show preferred embodiments of the invention and what I nowconsider to be the best mode of applying the principles thereof. Otherembodiments of the invention may be used without departing from thescope of the present invention as set forth in the appended claims.

In the drawings:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of an electrical component having aterminal embodying the invention applied to one lead thereof;

FIGURE 2 is a perspective view of a strip of terminals embodying theinvention before having the electrical conductor applied thereto;

FIGURE 3 is an enlarged plan view of one of the ter minals;

FIGURE 4 is a fragmentary schematic sectional view through a crimpingdie in its open position and illustrating a step in the method ofcrimping the terminal on a conductor;

FIGURE 5 is an elevational view of the terminal and conductor beforeinsertion of the conductor into the terminal and as would appear alongthe line 5-5 of FIG- URE 4;

FIGURE 6 is a perspective view showing the conductor seated in theterminal, but before the crimping operation;

FIGURE 7 is a fragmentary sectional view through the crimping die in itsclosed position and illustrating the final step in the method ofapplying the terminal to a conductor;

FIGURE 8 is a view of the terminal and conductor after the crimpingoperation and as the terminal and con- 3,620,520 Patented Feb. 6, 1962Patent No. 2,897,870.

As illustrated in the drawings a terminal embodying the inventioncomprises a U-shaped member 20 formed from an integral piece of thinsheet metal stock such as copper or brass. The terminal preferably ismade in strip form as illustrated in FIGURE 2, wherein a series ofterminals 20 are individually connected by portion 22 to a strip 24,whereby the terminals may be made out of strip stock and coiled in areel for subsequent feeding to a machine for applying each terminal toan electrical conductor.

Each terminal is formed to provide a base 26 and tapered ears 28upstanding from the sides of the base and defining a longitudinalchannel 30. As clearly shown in FIGURES 4 and 7, the ears taper inheight from the back toward the front end thereof, and at the front theears project forwardly of the base 26 and of the end of the conductor 32secured therein. The forwardly projecting ends 34 of the ears aredeflected toward, but spaced from each other to form a tip 36 whichtapers toward a point. Actually the tip of the terminal after beingcrimped on a wire has a bullet shaped nose.

As shown in FIGURE 3 transverse grooves 38 are formed in the walls ofthe terminal which define the channel 30 and after the terminal iscrimped on the conductor 32, the shoulders 40 formed by such grooves areembedded in the conductor so as to resist axial separation of the wirefrom the terminal. As illustrated in FIGURE 8, the ears 28 are crimpedaround the wire 32 with the outer ends 42 of the ears folded over thewire, but terminating in spaced relation so as to define a longitudinalsolder flow groove 44 between the outer ends of the ears and expose partof the conductor along the side of the terminal. In the crimpingoperation, the terminal 20 and the end of the wire 32 are subjected tosufficient metal deforming pressure so as to cold flow the terminal andthe end of the wire and accurately form the terminal. Not only does thenose 36 provide a tapered end to facilitate insertion of the terminal ina socket in a printed circuit board, but at the same time the crimpingoperation shapes the terminal so that the opposite sides 50 taper inthickness from the rear toward the front end thereof as clearlyindicated in FIGURE 7.

In applying the terminal to the end or" a conductor, a strip ofterminals 24 may be fed in a path leading to the anvil 52 so that theconnecting strip 24 is disposed laterally of and passes to one side ofthe anvil and the lead terminal 20 is positioned on the anvil with theanvil backing up such lead terminal and with the open side of theterminal facing away from the anvil. The free end of the conductor 32 isdisposed in overlapping transverse relation with respect to theconnecting strip 24 and with the lead terminal 20 disposed between theanvil and the conductor 32 and with the open side of the terminal 20facing and aligned with the free end of the conductor as illustrated inFIGURE 5. A crimping die 54 disposed opposite the anvil is cooperabletherewith by movement toward the same for crimping the terminal on thefree end of the conductor 32. The die 54 is engageable with the ears 28of the terminal 2% for crimping the same around the end of the conductor32 and a cut-off comprising cooperable edges 56 on the anvil 52 and 58on the guide element 69 which locates the conductor 32 relative to theterminal 20 are brought together by downward movement of the crimpingdie 54 for severing the terminal from the strip 22. The tongue 66 of thecrimping die 54 engagesthe end of the conductor 32 and moves itdownwardly until it is seated in the channel 30 and holds it in such.position during the crimping operation while the dies 52 and 54 aredeformed to the shape as shown in FIGURES 7 and 8.

While I have illustrated and described preferred embodiments of myinvention, it is understood that these are capable of modification, andI therefore do not wish. to be limited to the precise details set forthbut desire: to avail myself of such changes and alterations as fallwith-- in the purview of the following claims.

I claim:

1. A crimped electrical connection comprising a gen-- erally U-shapedterminal member formed from an integral, piece of thin sheet metal andhaving a base and tapered ears upstanding rom the sides thereof defininga longi-- tudinal channel, a bared wire projecting into said channelthrough one end thereof, said ears at the other end projecting forwardlyof the base and the end of the wire, 2

said ears being tapered downwardly lengthwise of said channel from saidone end thereof toward the other end. thereof, the forwardly projectingends of said ears con verging toward each other to form a tip whichtapers. toward a point with a solder flow groove between such; forwardlyprojecting ends, the ears being crimped around the wire throughout thelength of the wire within said. channel with the outer ends of said earsfolded over the wire and toward but spaced from each other, saidconnection being characterized in that the terminal and the end of thewire are crimped together under metal-deforming pressure so as tointegrate the same into a unitary mass, said terminal tapering from agreater to a lesser cross section from said one end toward the tip endthereof.

2. A crimped electrical connection comprising a gen erally U-shapedterminal member adapted to be formed in strip form from an integralpiece of thin sheet metal and having a base and tapered ears upstandingfrom the sides thereof defining a longitudinal channel open along theside opposite the base, a bared wire projecting into said channelthrough one end, said ears at the other end projecting forwardly of thebase and the end of the wire, said ears being tapered downwardlylengthwise of said channel from said one end thereof toward the otherend thereof, the forwardly projecting ends of said ears convergingtoward each other to form a tip which tapers toward a point, transversegrooves in the channel forming internal shoulders embedded in the wireso as to resist axial separation of the wire from the terminal, the earsbeing crimped around the wire throughout the length of the wire withinsaid channel with the outer ends of said ears folded over the wire butterminating in spaced relation so as to define a longitudinallyextending solder fiow groove between the outer ends of said ears andleave exposed part of said wire, said connection being characterized inthat the terminal and the end of the wire are crimped together undermetal-deforming pressure so as to integrate the same into a unitarymass.

3. A crimped terminal connection comprising a generally U-shaped memberformed from an integral piece of thin sheet metal and having earsupstanding from the sides thereof defining a longitudinal channel, abared wire projecting into said channel through one end thereof, saidears being crimped on the wire throughout the length of the wire withinsaid channel with parts of said ears folded over the wire and formed soas to leave a part of the wire throughout its length in the crimpedterminal exposed along one side thereof, said connection beingcharacterized in that the terminal and the end of the wire are crimpedtogether under metal-deforming pressure so as to cold flow the terminaland the end of the wire and integrate the same into a unitary mass, theouter periphery of the crimped portion of said terminal being formed toprovide an electric current conducting contact surface, said terminaltapering throughout its length from a greater to a lesser cross sectionfrom said one end toward the front thereof.

4. A crimped electrical connection comprising a generally U-shapedterminal member adapted to be formed in strip form from an integralpiece of thin sheet metal so as to have a base and tapered earsupstanding from the sides thereof defining a longitudinal channel, asformed initially, open along the side opposite the base for receivingthe bared end of a wire conductor movable laterally into said channelthrough the open side thereof, said ears tapering in height from one endtoward the other end thereof, said ears at the other end projectingforwardly of the base, the forwardly projecting ends of said ears beingdeflected toward each other to form a tip which tapers toward a point, abared wire projecting into said channel from said one end, said terminalmember being crimped under metal deforming pressure on said wireconductor so that the ears extend around the wire conductor throughoutthe length of the wire conductor within the channel with the outer endsof said ears folded over the wire and toward each other but terminatingin spaced relation so that the outer ends of said ears are cooperablewith part of said wire conductor exposed thercbetween to form alongitudinally extending solder fiow channel, transverse grooves in thechannel forming internal shoulders for embedding in the wire conductorwhen the terminal member is crimped thereon so as to resist axialseparation of the wire conductor from the terminal member, said terminalmember after such crimping tapering in thickness from a greater to alesser cross section from said one end toward the other thereof with thesurface of the wire receiving channel therein throughout the length ofthe wire in said channel in intimate metal to metal contact with saidwire so as to provide a terminal on the end of the wire integratedtherewith in a unitary mass.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS OTHERREFERENCES AMP publication, Universal Patchord Programming Systems,published 1955, page 6.

Disclaimer 3,020,520.Quent1'/n Berg, New Cumberland, Pa. TERMINAL FORMAKING i ELECTRICAL CONNECTIONS. Patent dated Feb. 6, 1962. Disclaimerfiled Jan. 14, 1963, by the inventor.

Hei'eby enters this disclaimer to claim 3 of said patent.

[Oflicial Gazette February Q6, 1963.]

